Post-office furniture.



No. 806,965. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

. M. S. FIELD.

POST OFFICE FURNITURE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8, 1904.

2 S TSSHEET 1.

No. 806,965. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

M. S. FIELD. POST OFFICE FURNITURE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 8, 1904.

2 SHEBTBSHEET 2.

. nun,

nnrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed October 8, 1904. Serial No. 227,665.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAROELLUS S. FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Post-Oflice Furniture, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to post-office furniture, and especially to the desks or tables used by letter-carriers in assorting and arranging their mail preparatory to starting out on their delivery-routes; and the device herein illustrated is an improvement upon the device illustrated and described in my prior patent, No. 641,003, dated January 9, 1900.

The objects of my present invention are to simplify the construction illustrated in my prior patent and to provide a carriers desk in which the available room for receiving mail-matter may be increased to a considerable: extent without increasing the size of the The particular features wherein my invention resides will be more fully hereinafter described and then pointed out in the'claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a desk embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspective'view of the top of the desk. Fig. 3 is a section on the line to m, Fig. 1.

The table or base of the carriers desk is designated generally by 3, and 4 designates the elevating-case supported on the table, said case comprising the side pieces 5 andthe.

shelves 6, supported thereby. In the drawings the table is a double tablethat is, the base 'or table portion is large enough to receive two elevating-cases arranged side by sidebut my invention would not be departed from if the table 3 were of a size to receive one case only. Each elevating-case 1 is received between two side pieces or guides 7 rising from the table-top, all as shown in my above-mentioned patent. In the device illustrated in said patent the elevating-case is counterpoised by means of counterweights; but I have found from practice that said counterweights are unwieldy and are often in the way. Accordingly in my present invention I employ springs 8 for counterpoising the cases, said springs being in the nature of coiled springs, which are received partially in grooves 9 in the side pieces or guides 7 and partially in grooves 10 in the side pieces 5 of the elevated casing. In use a spring 8 at each side of each case, and each spring is fastened at its upper end to the upper end of the corresponding guide or side piece 7, as at 11, and at its lower end to the bottom of the elevated case, as at 12. These springs 8 are thus entirely out of sight, and consequently out of the way, and as each spring occupies a groove in both guide-piece 7 and side piece 5 they act as guides for the elevating-case, as well as the counterpoise.

Each shelf 6 is divided into compartments by suitable partitions, and said compartments may be either in the form of pigeonholes or in the form of open compartments. For convenience I prefer the form of partitions illustrated, which consists merely of wire loops 81, rising from the shelves.

It is usually customary for a mail-carrier t0 assort the letter-mail first and afterward to assort the more bulky materialsuch as papers, packages, &c.and in using my carriers desk the elevating-case is lowered onto the table-top 16, as shown at the left in Fig. l, and the letter-mail deposited on the exposed portion of said table. Said letter-mail is then assorted, and as the assorting takes place it is distributed in the various partitions in the shelves. After the letter-mail has been assorted the elevating-case is elevated, as shown at the right in Fig. 1, and there locked by any suitable clasp or locking device 17 thus making the entire table-top 16 available for the reception of the bulky mail-matter and the operation of assorting it.

The advantages gained by use of this form of desk are fully set forth in my prior patent.

To assist in sorting the bulky mail-matter, I have provided the table-top with one or more swinging arms and one or more sliding panels, which act as a means for holding the papers, packages, and other bulky matter as they are assorted. The swinging arms are designated by 18, and they may be used at one or both sides of the table, as desired. Said arms are hinged to the front edge of the bottom of the guide-pieces 7 and are arranged to swing from a position parallel to said side pieces, as shown at the left, Fig. 2, to a position parallel to the front of the table, as shown at the right of said figure. Suitable stops 19 may be employed for preventing the outward swinging movement of said arms. The sliding panels are designated by 20 and are arranged to move toward and from the front of the table. They may be supported and guided in their movement in any suitable way, and,

as herein shown, each panel has a foot portion 21 depending therefrom, which plays in a guiding-groove 22, formed in the table-top. Said groove may be formed directly in the material of the table-top or in a separate strip 23, which is set into the table-top. While the letter-mail is being assorted, the panels are either removed from the table-top or shoved to the back side thereof out of the way of the elevated case, and the swinging arms 18 may be swung back parallel with the guides 7. When, however, the more bulky mail-matter is being assorted, the carrier will swing the arms 18 outwardly into the position parallel with the front of the table, and as the mail is assorted place it between the swinging arms and the sliding panels, said panels having first been drawn close to the arms. As the amount of assorted mail-matter accumulates the sliding panel maybe pushed back for its accommodation. It will thus be seen that said panel and swinging arm form holding devices to hold the rows of assorted or faced mail, thus allowing the carrier to use both hands for assorting mail. One or more panels may be used on each carriers desk, as desired, and one or more swinging arms may be used on each carriers desk, as deemed most desirable. The feature of the swinging arms and the sliding panels forms no part of my present invention, however, and is not claimed herein.

In the improved form of desk herein illustrated the elevating-case is made wider at its bottom than at its top, and the front edge thereof inclines backwardly, so that the bottom shelves stand nearer the front of the desk than the top shelves. This arrangement I have found to be much more convenient for the person sorting the mail than where the front edge of the shelves are all in the same vertical plane.

Extending along the back side of each shelf is a removable back piece or guard 23 in the nature of a strip, which extends the length of the shelf. The back piece or guard for each shelf rests on brackets 40, secured to the shelf, and it can be easily lifted out of the space between the rear edge of the shelf and the brackets whenever it is desired to dust the shelves. When these back pieces or guards are in place, they act as stops to prevent letters on the shelf from being pushed back too far. By making them removable the operation of dusting and cleaning the shelves is greatly facilitated. On the front of each shelf is a detachable strip 14:, of any suitable material, on which is imprinted characters or inscriptions corresponding to the route on which the mail is to be delivered, said printed strips being for the purpose of assisting the letter-carrier in assorting his mail. These strips are made detachable and have the points of a route imprinted on each side thereof. The object in making said strips reversible is so that the same strip may be used for two different routes. It often hap pens that a letter-carrier will cover different districts on different trips, and by making the routing-strips 1e reversible the same strips can be used for two different routes. I have herein shown said strips as being hung on suitable hooks 15, projecting from the shelves.

In order to increase the available space for receiving mail-matter without increasing the size of the desks, I have provided each elevating-case with the bottom piece 26 and have made the bottom shelf 6 removable, so that after the letter-mail has been assorted and distributed said shelf may be removed and transferred to suitable shelf-rests 25 at the top of the elevating-case,.thus exposing the bottom 26 and making it available for the reception of mail-matter. By this simple expedient the available space for receiving mail is increased by the size of the bottom 26 without extending the shelves to such a height as. to make them inconvenient in use.

It is not my intention to have a shelf permanently supported on the rests 25, but touse said rests only as a means for storing a shelf after it has been filled with mail.

The bottom shelf 6 may be removably supported in the sidepieces 5 of the elevatingcase in any suitable way. As herein shown, said side pieces are provided with grooves 41, which receive tongues on the end of the shelf. The shelf is so loosely fitted in the grooves that it can be readily removed by drawing it toward the front of the case.

I may, if desired, provide the sides of the elevating-case with apertures 30 in line with the loops of the wire partitions 31, so that an ordinary feather duster can be drawn through the row of wire loops for the purpose of dusting the shelf.

A desk constructed as above described is simple in construction, but Very convenient in operation, and has many advantages not found in a desk constructed according to my former patent,

The construction herein illustrated is that which I prefer; but I wish it understood that the details may be varied in many ways with out departing from the invention,

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

1. In post oflice furniture, a table, side pieces rising therefrom, a vertically-movable case received between said side pieces, and two coiled counterpoise-springs, each having one end connected to the upper end of a side piece and the other end connected to the bot tom of the vertically movable case, said springs being partially received in grooves in the side pieces.

2. In post -oflice furniture, a table, side pieces rising therefrom, a vertically-movable case received between said side pieces, and counterpoise-springs secured at one end to the upper end of said side pieces and at the other end to the bottom of the verticallymovable case, each spring being received partially in a groove in the side of the case whereby said springs serve both as a counterpoise for the case and as a guide therefor.

3. In adevice of the class described, atable, side pieces rising therefrom, a case between said side pieces movable toward and from the table, said case having shelves and a shelfrest at its upper end, the lower shelf being removable and adapted to be transferred to said shelf-rest, and springs acting to restrain the movement of said case toward the top of said table.

4. In adevice of the class described, atable, a vertically-movable case above the table, said case having shelves, and a detachable back piece or guard for each shelf.

5. In adevice of the class described, a table, side pieces rising therefrom, a vertically-movable case having shelves received between said side pieces, counterpoise-springs secured at one end to the upper end of said side pieces and at the other end to the bottom of said vertically-moving case, each spring received partially in a groove in the side of the case,

and a route-indicating strip detachably se- MARCELLUS S. FIELD.

Witnesses:

LOUIS C. SMITH, MABEL PARTELOW. 

